Curtain rod



April 8, 1941. J. H BQYE 2,237,406

CURTAIN ROD Filed April 17, 1940 Patented Apr. 8, 1941 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to curtain rods, and more particularly, although not exclusively, to the well known fiat rods that have elbow ends extending toward the window casing, and are commonly made with rearwardly and inwardly turned top and bottom edges forming in effect hollow beads for stifiening and strengthening the rod. The elbow ends of the rod are separably en aged with rod-supporting brackets mounted on the window casing.

There is now in use a considerable variety of rod-supporting brackets, most of which consist of a flat base plate attached by screws to the window casing and carrying an upright hook that passes through a hole or slotin the top bead of the rod or an upright pin that passes through registering holes or slots in both the top and bottom beads of the rod. In some cases these hooks and pins are round. In others they are flat. monly called hook-on rods by the trade. In another well-known form the bracket has a flat arm projecting forwardly from the base plate, and in or on this arm is a spring tongue formed on its free end with a lug that cooperates with an indented lug on, or a hole in, the front wall of the elbow end of the rod to yieldably lock the rod end on the bracket. Rods used with such brackets are commonly known as push-on rods by the trade.

, Curtain rod brackets of the types above described constitute over ninety percent of all the curtain rod brackets in use; and the main object of this invention has been to provide what might be termed a universe. rod;--that is, a rod that can be used equally well on all of the above noted types of brackets. This presents manifest advantages and economies to both the user and the dealer. A user may move from one house or apartment to another. As a general rule, permanently attached fixtures, such as the curtain rod brackets must be left behind. Movables, such as the curtain rods may be removed. The house or apartment to which the user moves may be equipped with specifically diiferent brackets, but nevertheless the newcomer can use his curtain rods on such brackets, and is not required to purchase special brackets for his curtain rods. And even if he does remove the brackets with the rods, unsightly holes are left in the window casing, and this is obviated by the use of the persent invention. A dealer is not required to carry a considerable variety of rods adapted to cooperate with a corresponding variety of brackets. He may simply stock up with Rods used with such brackets are oomthe rods of the present invention and thus supply customers whose homes or apartments are already equipped with brackets of various types.

A practical and preferred embodiment of my present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective front View of a portion of a fiat curtain rod embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, viewed on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the end portion of the rod shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective elevation showing the rod engaged with a bracket equipped with a vertical round rod engaging pin.

Fig, 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective elevation showing the rod engaged with a flat vertical pin.

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective elevation showing the rod engaged with a wide flat hook carried by the bracket plate.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective elevation showing the rod engaged with a narrow flat hook carried by the bracket plate.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a'perspective elevation, viewed from the inner side of the bracket arm, showing the elbow end or arm of the rod telescopingly engaged with a forwardly projecting arm of the bracket.

Fig. 13 is a horizontal section taken on the line Iii-l3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary outside developed view of the rod end.

Figs. 1 to 11 inclusive show rods of the hookon type; and Figs. 12 and 13 show a rod of the push-on type.

The curtain rod itself, except as to the end formations which adapt it for cooperation with specifically different brackets, is of a well-known type comprising a substantially fiat front wall designated as an entirety by l5 and rearwardly and inwardly turned top and bottom edges, or beads I6 and I1. As shown in Fig. 1 the rod is formed with elbow end portions or arms continuous with the main intermediate portion, said end portions or arms being structurally identical with said intermediate portion.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to '7 inclusive, the top and bottom heads [6 and ll of the end portion of the rod are formed with registering keyhole slots I8 and [9 respectively. In Figs. 4 and 5 the round portions of these slots fit over round.

upright pins mounted on a flat bracket plate 2| that is attached to the window casing by screws passed through holes such as 22. Figs. 6 and '7 show the same elbow end portion of the rod engaged with a flat vertical pin 23 mounted on the base plate 2|. In this case, the relatively wide flat pin 23 occupies both the round and the narrow rectangular portions of the keyhole slots l8 and I9.

Figs. 8 and 9 show the bracket plate 2| equipped with a relatively wide upstanding hook 24 that occupies both the round and narrow parts of the upper key-hole slot [8 in the top bead I6, the rod being maintained horizontal by the abutment of the end of the rod arm with the face of the bracket plate 2|.

Figs. 10 and 11 are similar to Figs. 8 and 9 except that the bracket plate 2| is equipped with a relatively narrow and rearwardly curved upstanding hook that, as shown in Fig. 11, engages with only the circular portion of the upper key-hole slot I8.

In Figs. 8 and 10 I have not illustrated the presence of the lower key-hole slot IS in the lower bead l1, since such lower slot is not essential for the full cooperation of the rod with the types of brackets shown in Figs. 8 and 10. But, obviously, the rod ends shown in Figs. 4 and 6, having key-hole slots in both upper and lower edges, are equally adapted for cooperation with the brackets of Figs. 8 and 10.

Figs. 12 and 13 show the rod elbow end portion or arm equipped not only with the slots l B and I9 hereinbefore described, but also with a means for yieldably locking the rod on a forwardly projecting arm 26 carried by the bracket base plate 2|. As is best shown in Fig. 13, the end portion of the front wall of the rod arm is outwardly pressed by a suitable punch or die creating a lateral offset 21, crosswise of which is an indented V-shaped lug 28, that, as the rod arm is pushed over the bracket arm 26, rides over a spring tongue 29 formed in or on the bracket arm 26 and snaps behind an inwardly bent end portion of the spring tongue 29. In some cases, the lug 28 is formed on the bracket arm, and the spring tongue 29 on or in the front wall of the rod end; this being the obvious reverse of the arrangement above described.

Fig. 14 shows a fragment of the sheet metal blank from which the rod is formed. For increased strength and rigidity a group of longitudinal corrugations 3| are formed centrally and lengthwise of the blank, although thisfeature is not concerned with the present invention. The longitudinal edge portions of the blank are folded rearwardly and inwardly, the key-hole slots I8 and I9 having been previously punched in the blank, and the longitudinal center lines of the folds coincide withthe longitudinal axes of the slots l8 and I9. The lateral offset 21 and transverse indented lug 28 are, of course, impressed from the blank before the latter is bent into the rod form.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the improved universal rod of the present invention obviates the necessity of providing a number of rods having different specially formed elbow ends each adapted for cooperation with but one of a plurality of differently formed rod supporting brackets. This obviously spells an economy to the manufacturer in the rod forming tools required; an economy to the dealer in the number of different rods required to be carried in stock; and an economy to the user in the matter of rod supporting brackets. The drawing does not exhaust the number of specifically diiferent brackets with which my improved curtain rod will cooperate; but a thorough acquaintance with all of the curtain rods and brackets now on the market enables me to correctly state that the improved curtain rod herein shown, described and claimed is useable on over ninety per-cent of all the hook-on and push-on curtain rod brackets now in use.

Minor variations in structure and arrangement from those shown and described may be resorted to Within the spirit and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A flat curtain rod formed with an elbow end portion and with rearwardly and inwardly turned top and bottom edges, and having registering openings in the top and bottom edges of said end portion adapted to engage with pins of different formations on a rod-supporting bracket.

2. A fiat curtain rod formed with an elbow end portion and with a rearwardly and inwardly turned top edge, and having a key-hole slot in the top edge of said end portion adapted to engage with either a narrow or wide hook on a rod-supporting bracket.

3. A fiat curtain rod formed with an elbow end portion and with rearwardly and inwardly turned top and bottom edges and having registering slots in the top and bottom edges of said end portion adapted to engage with pins of different crosssectional forms on a rod-supporting bracket.

4. A flat curtain rod formed with an elbow end portion and with rearwardly and inwardly turned top and bottom edges, and having registering keyhole slots in the top and bottom edges of said end portion adapted to engage with either a round or a fiat pin on a rod-supporting bracket.

JAMES H. BOYE. 

